“My Kingdom No Dey Part of This World”

1, 2. (a) Why more people for this world no dey as one? (b) Which question we go answer for this topic?

ONE sister for south of Europe talk about how e life dey before. E say: “From when I dey small, I see how people de suffer.” E still say: “Na this one make I stop to support the government for my country. I begin support people wey they want bring change. The truth be say, for many years, my boyfriend na terrorist.” (Terrorist na person wey e de cause trouble and de use things like bomb kill people.) One man for south of Africa like to fight before e come be brother. E talk say: “I believe say my tribe better pass other tribe, and I join one party for politics. They teach us say make we de use spear kill other people wey they no dey our party, even if na the same tribe we be.” One sister for central Europe talk say: “Before, if person come from another country and e religion no be my own, I no de like that person at all.”

² Plenty people for this world get the kind character wey that three people get before. And this kind people de plenty everyday. Different-different group want freedom and them de cause trouble. Plenty people no de agree again because of politics. And many people hate strangers wey them de stay for their country. For this last days, people “no go want agree for anything,” as Bible talk. (2 Tim. 3:1, 3) Even as more people for this world no dey as one, how we go fit continue to dey as one? We fit learn plenty things from the way Jesus handle one situation for e time. That time, people no de agree about the way things suppose to be for their area. And this one de bring problem for there. We go answer this three question: (1) Why Jesus no support any group wey them de fight to bring change? (2) How Jesus show say Christian no suppose to support any side for politics? And (3) how Jesus teach us say we no suppose to fight, or cause trouble?

WETIN JESUS THINK ABOUT POLITICS

3, 4. (a) When Jesus dey this earth, wetin Jew people de expect? (b) How the things wey Jew people want affect the disciples?

³ Many Jew people wey Jesus preach to, no want make government for Rome de rule them again. Jew people get one group wey them de fight for freedom. Them de call them Jewish Zealots. They even make other Jew people want this freedom more-more. Many of this Zealot de follow one man wey e name na Judas, from Galilee. E live around the time wey Jesus come this earth. Judas na fake messiah, and e deceive many people. One man wey e name na Josephus talk about Judas. Josephus study history about Jew people. E talk say Judas “make e country-people fight government, and e call them fear-fear people because them de pay tax to government for Rome.” But people for Rome kill Judas. (Acts 5:37) Some of this Zealots begin cause trouble so that they go get wetin they want.

⁴ Apart from the people wey they follow Judas, many Jew people de wait for Messiah to come. They think say when e come, e go free them from the hand of government for Rome, and e go make their country better again. (Luke 2:38; 3:15) Many people that time believe say the government of the Messiah go dey for Israel. When that one happen, many Jew people for other place go come back to their country. Still remember say John the Baptist ask Jesus one time say: “Na you be the Person wey we de expect say e go come?” (Matt. 11:2, 3) E fit be say John want know if na different person go do all the things wey Jew people get for mind. After God resurrect Jesus, two of e disciple talk with Jesus for road when them de go Emmaus. Them talk how they expect say na Jesus for free Israel people. (Read Luke 24:21.) After some short time, the apostles of Jesus ask say: “Lord, you go put the kingdom back for Israel now?”​—Acts 1:6.

5. (a) Why people for Galilee want make Jesus king? (b) How Jesus help the people make them know why e come this earth?

⁵ E fit be say because of wetin Jew people want, na e make people for Galilee want make Jesus their king. They see say Jesus sabi give talk for public, e de cure sick people, and even give food to plenty people wey them de hungry. So they believe say Jesus go remove all their problem. After Jesus give about 5,000 men food, e notice how the people surprise. Bible talk say: “They want come catch Jesus and make Jesus king. So as e know wetin they want come do, e comot again go for mountain by e self.” (John 6:10-15) The next day, e fit be say the people no too serious again about wetin they want do before. Then Jesus tell them the kind work wey e come do. E no come give people things like food or clothes. But e come teach people about God. Jesus tell them say: “Make wuna no work for food wey e no go last. Instead, work for food wey e go last and wey e de give everlasting life.”​—John 6:25-27.

6. How Jesus make-am clear say e no want rule for this world? (Go check the first picture.)

⁶ Just before Jesus die, e notice say some of the disciples de think say e go begin rule for Jerusalem. But Jesus use the example of minas correct wetin the disciples de think. (Minas na one kind money wey them de use that time.) The example show say one man wey e come from family of king go travel go another place for long time. This man na Jesus. (Luke 19:11-13, 15) Jesus still tell Pontius Pilate say e no de support any side for politics. Pilate ask Jesus say: “Na you be Jew people their King?” (John 18:33) E fit be say Pilate de fear say Jesus go make people no obey Roman government. Jesus answer say: “My Kingdom no dey part of this world.” (John 18:36) Jesus no support any side for politics because e Kingdom dey for heaven. E tell Pilate say the work wey e come do na to “tell people the truth.”​—Read John 18:37.

7. Why e fit hard person make e no support any side for politics, even for e heart?

⁷ Jesus really understand wetin God want make e do. When we understand wetin God want make we do, we no go support any side for politics, even for our heart. This one fit hard. One circuit overseer talk say more people for e area want make things change. They feel say na their country better pass. They believe say their life go better if na their own person de rule them. E still talk say: “Na good thing say our brothers and sisters continue to remain as one. They put their mind for the good news of the Kingdom wey them de preach. Them de wait for the time wey God go remove suffer and other problem wey we de face.”

HOW JESUS SHOW SAY E NO DE SUPPORT POLITICS?

8. Give one example of how Jew people suffer when Jesus dey this earth?

⁸ People de enter politics more-more when they see as people de suffer. When Jesus dey this earth, tax de make people support different side for politics. Roman government register Jew people to make sure say them pay tax. Na this one make Judas from Galilee wey we don talk about, fight Roman government. People wey them dey under Roman government, even followers of Jesus, de pay tax for many things like, things wey them de sell, their land, and house. This one hard the people more-more because the tax collectors de do wayo. Sometimes, tax collector de buy position so that they go fit use-am de collect tax, and then use-am make money. Zacchaeus na chief tax collector for Jericho. E come get plenty money because na wayo man. (Luke 19:2, 8) E fit be say na so plenty tax collector de do.

9, 10. (a) How people wey they hate Jesus try make e support one side for politics? (b) Wetin we learn from the answer wey Jesus give them? (Go check the first picture.)

⁹ People wey they hate Jesus want make e support one side for politics. So they ask Jesus question about tax matter. They ask about “head tax” wey people under Roman government de pay. The money na one denarius. (Read Matthew 22:16-18.) Jew people no like this tax at all. E de make them remember say na people for Rome de control them. Na the people wey them de support Herod ask this question. Them de feel say Jesus go talk say e no good to pay tax. This one for make them talk say Jesus na enemy to Roman government. If Jesus talk say e good make Jew people pay tax, people fit stop to follow Jesus again.

¹⁰ Jesus dey careful make e no support any side for politics. E tell the people say: “Pay back Caesar things to Caesar, and God things to God.” (Matt. 22:21) Jesus sabi say plenty tax collector na wayo people. But e no allow that one carry e mind comot from the thing wey dey important pass. This thing na the Kingdom of God and na e go remove all our problem. Na good example e show all of us. We no suppose to support any side for politics, even if e be like say wetin them de do correct. Na only the Kingdom of God and the things wey God say e correct dey our mind. So, we no go begin judge any side, even if them de do wetin no correct.​—Matt. 6:33.

11. Which good thing we fit do if we want help people wey them de suffer?

¹¹ Before some people come be Jehovah Witness, they feel say things for their area go need to change, and na people go bring the change. But many of them don remove-am from their heart, even though say e no easy. For example, one sister for Great Britain talk say: “After wetin I study for university don open my eye about all the partial wey people de face, I begin put hand for politics.” E still talk say: “I want help black people get their right back because we don too suffer plenty things. Even though say I sabi win argument, e still no de make me happy. People wey they get different skin color de treat each other anyhow. I no know say they go first remove the problem from people their heart. But as I begin study Bible, I come see say I need to first start with my own heart. And na one white sister take e time help me make I begin change. Now, I be regular pioneer for one sign-language congregation, and I de learn how to help different-different kind of people.”

“KEEP YOUR SWORD BACK FOR E PLACE”

12. Which kind “yeast” Jesus warn e disciples about?

¹² When Jesus dey this earth, leaders for religion de put hand for politics. For example, one book wey them de call Daily Life in Palestine at the Time of Christ talk about-am. E say they divide the religion of Jew people to form different-different group. And this group be like the different-different party for politics. So Jesus warn e disciples say: “Make wuna eye dey open; and protect wunaself from the yeast of Pharisee people and the yeast of Herod.” (Mark 8:15) When Jesus talk about Herod for here, e be like say na people wey them de support Herod e de talk about. The group wey Pharisee people dey, want make Jew people free from Roman government. For the same story wey Matthew write about Jesus, e talk say Jesus still warn e disciples about Sadducee people. This people want make Roman government continue to rule because many of them get position for the government. Jesus warn e disciples make they no listen to wetin any of the three group de teach. Na wetin them de teach be the yeast wey Jesus talk about. (Matt. 16:6, 12) And Jesus talk this thing just after that time wey the people want make e be king.

13, 14. (a) How politics and religion matter don make people put hand for fight and wetin no correct? (b) Why e no good to fight or cause trouble, even if they no de treat us well? (Go check the first picture.)

¹³ When people for religion de support different side for politics, e de easy make people begin get problem and de fight. Jesus tell e disciples make they no support any side for politics at all. This one na part of the reason why the chief priests and Pharisee people want kill Jesus. They feel say people go de follow Jesus instead of them. And this one fit make them lose their position for religion and for politics. They talk say: “If we allow this man continue like this, all of them go get faith for this man. And Roman people go come take our place and our country.” (John 11:48) So High Priest Caiaphas come arrange make they kill Jesus.​—John 11:49-53; 18:14.

¹⁴ Caiaphas wait make night reach before e send soldiers go arrest Jesus. So, for the last time wey Jesus chop together with the apostles, e send them go carry sword. E do so because e know wetin Caiaphas plan. Na just two sword Jesus need make e use-am teach them important lesson. (Luke 22:36-38) The night come reach for them to arrest Jesus. Peter use sword attack one of the people wey they come arrest Jesus. Wetin make Peter vex like that? Na because they use wayo way come arrest Jesus and na for night. (John 18:10) But Jesus tell Peter say: “Keep your sword back for e place, because any person wey e de carry sword, na sword go kill the person.” (Matt. 26:52, 53) Before this time, Jesus don pray say make e disciples no be part of this world. And e still teach them the same lesson from wetin later happen that night. (Read John 17:16.) Make we know say, if things no de go the right way, na only God get the right to stop-am.

15, 16. (a) How Bible don help people make they no de fight again? (b) Wetin Jehovah de see as e de look e servants and people for this world?

¹⁵ The sister from south of Europe wey we talk about before, still learn this lesson. E talk say: “I don see say no be to make trouble and to fight go make people do the correct thing.” E still say: “I see say, many times, people wey they want use trouble end problem de die. And plenty other people de vex more-more. I really happy when I learn for Bible say, na only God fit make things for this world go the right way. Twenty five years don pass now, and na this message I don de preach.” The brother for south of Africa no de use spear again. Instead, e don de use “the sword of the spirit,” or Bible. E de use-am as e de preach about peace to people, no matter their tribe. (Eph. 6:17) And after the sister for central Europe come be Jehovah Witness, e marry one brother from another tribe. Before, e no like people from that tribe. The three people wey we talk about change their character because they want be like Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ E really good make we change like them! Bible talk say people be like water for sea. Water for sea de go up and down, e no de quiet. (Isa. 17:12; 57:20, 21; Rev. 13:1) Politics de make people vex, e de divide people, and e de make them fight. But we go continue to remain as one, and de make sure say we continue to get peace. Jehovah de see as people for the world no dey as one. But e de really happy as e people dey as one.​—Read Zephaniah 3:17.

17. (a) Which three things fit help us make we remain as one? (b) Wetin we go talk about for the next topic?

¹⁷ We don see three things wey all of us fit do so that we fit remain as one. (1) We believe say na the Kingdom of God go fit stop all the partial for this world, (2) we no de ever support any side for politics, and (3) we no de fight or cause trouble. But if we de do partial sometimes, e fit make us no dey as one again. How the example of Christians for time of the apostles fit help us make this kind thing no happen? The next topic go talk about-am.